Scotland Heritage Sites Are 'At Risk,' Says New Report

Historic Environment Scotland says more than half of the sites it monitors, including Edinburgh Castle, have seen accelerated decay because of extreme weather.

Scotland has a millennia worth of castles, forts, stone circles, and legends that shape its culture, but in the last 100 years, they’ve faced their greatest challengers yet (no, not the British): Rising tides, coastal erosion, and extreme weather have put 53 percent of 352 historic sites “at risk,” says a report from Historic Environment Scotland (HES).

The study from public agency HES, which monitors Scotland’s historic monuments—including Highland stone circles, battlefields, castles, churches, you name it—notes that “altered precipitation patterns and increased frequency of extreme and unpredictable weather events impose additional stresses on buildings that could not have been foreseen during the construction or subsequent consolidation of historic monuments.” In short: HES says the weather is accelerating decay.

What exactly does “at risk” mean? Will Edinburgh Castle, with buildings dating to the 1100s, come tumbling down? Not quite—but the masonry has suffered from increased rainfall over the last century, the director of conservation for HES told The Telegraph this week.

Critics of the report have said it’s difficult to pin the decay of centuries-old structures on one culprit, but the outcome is still the same: Culture secretary Fiona Hyslop, who commissioned the report, has “confirmed Scottish Government funding of £6.6m [roughly USD $8m] will be provided to support conservation work, repairs, and visitor facilities at sites including Doune, Stirling and Edinburgh castles,” reports The Scotsman. Some of this work has already begun, but the bulk of the investment decisions will play out over the next decade.

Somewhat ironically, or very well timed, this happens during Scotland’s Year of History, Heritage, and Archaeology, a year-long program featuring the country’s cultural traditions (yes, that includes whisky distilling) and ancient monuments, and encouraging visitors to “find their tartan,” so to speak, by seeking out their clan heritage. Archaeology tours of Edinburgh and Orkney, both with UNESCO designations, are on offer, along with a live excavation at the Ness of Brodgar on Orkney over the summer, and plans haven’t changed following the HES report. “Scotland’s history and heritage is, for many visitors, what defines the country," a spokesman for VisitScotland, the national tourism board, told Condé Nast Traveler. "In light of Historic Environment Scotland’s report, which highlights climate change as a ‘multiplier’ to the natural deterioration of our traditionally built structures, we are pleased that funding has been made available to help repair some of our most threatened attractions, allowing future generations of visitors to enjoy our amazing past.”